FIRST TONIGHT..SEVEN CAN HELP GETS ANSWERS FOR MEDICAID PATIENTS DEALING WITH A NEW PROBLEM. GOOD EVENING, I'M ROB MCCARTNEY. I'M MELISSA FRY IN FOR BRANDI PETERSEN. THIS ALL CENTERS AROUND GETTING RIDES, MOSTLY FOR DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS. SOME PATIENTS TELL US - THEY'RE WAITING FOR áHOURS - áIF RIDES - EVER COME. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S JEREMY MASKEL JOINS US LIVE NEAR 24-TH AND CUMING. BEHIND ME IS WHERE THAT NEW DRIVING COMPANY LEASES IT'S CALL CENTER SPACE. BUT FOR MANY PEOPLE WE TALKED WITH - THERE'S NO CALLING IN! SINCE INTELLIRIDE GOT THAT STATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT ON MAY 1-ST: THE PHONE LINES - ARE JAMMED LIKE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THREE DAYS A WEEK ... THREE HOURS EACH TIME... ROGER DINKINS - DEPENDS ON THIS DIALYSIS CENTER.( I missed dialysis on Thursday, I missed dialysis on Saturday, and I dang near missed dialysis today. ) DINKINS IS ON MEDICAID... NEBRASKA'S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CONTRACTS WITH A COMPANY -- TO DRIVE CLIENTS LIKE DINKINS - TO NON-EMERGENCY DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS. THIS LETTER SHOWS - D-H-H-S áSWITCHED DRIVING COMPANIES - ON MAY FIRST. EVEN WITH 60 DAYS NOTICE - TO CLIENTS - AND ROUGH.( do you know how many people need this transportation? This is not just a walk in the park! ) AT THEIR LEASED SPACE áINSIDE THIS OMAHA BUILDING, INTELLIRIDE SAYS HUNDREDS OF CALLS COME IN AN HOUR RIGHT NOW. SO MANY THAT SOME DON'T GET THROUGH. DEIDREA CRAIG SCHEDULES DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS FOR PEOPLE AT OMAHA SUPPORTIVE LIVING... SHE SAYS SOME RESIDENTS SIT STRANDED AFTER APPOINTMENTS, AT A HOSPITAL, FOR HOURS. CALLING INTELLIRIDE - SHE HEARS THIS:( please call back later in the day, when call volume is lighter. Thank you, This has been going on since the first of May. ) D-H-H-S SAYS INTELLIRIDE HAS ADDED CALL CENTER STAFF. IS áEXTENDING HOURS. AND THEY EXPECT CALL VOLUME TO DROP NEXT WEEK - AS PEOPLE GET ROGER DINKINS - AND THE FRUSTRATION BOILS OVER.( ain't no hoping by no May 15th. If before May 1st, you're not going to get it together before the next month is up! ) D-H-H-S TELLS ME SOME OF THIS - IS BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO HAD REGULAR APPOINTMENTS WITH THE LAST DRIVING COMPANY... NEVER CALLED THE NEW ONE - TO BOOK THAT TIME - UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. D-H-H-S STAFF HAPPENING AND ARE MONITORING THE CALL CENTER'S SUCCESS. REPORTING LIVE, JEREMY MASKEL K-E-T-V NEWSWATCH SEVEN.

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